OAKLAND PARK PLUGS INTO THE FUTURE OF ELECTRIC CARS

OAKLAND PARK -- Cheryl Freniere stood puzzled in her driveway for a moment and stared at the small, odd-shaped vehicle parked across the street.

She didn't know quite what to make of the white car, which is smaller than a compact but bigger than a golf cart.

"It's a very interesting-looking vehicle," she said.

When told it was an electric car owned by the city, Freniere seemed impressed.

"It's a step in the right direction," she said.

In an effort to save taxpayers' money and help the environment, the City Council recently spent $10,000 on two electric cars.

If they prove to be economical and reliable, City Manager David Ritz said Oakland Park will buy more.

Sitting in the front seat of EV-1 (Electric Vehicle-1), water meter reader Faustino Perreras inserted the key into the ignition and turned it.

The action produced a startling silence.

Compared to vehicles with internal-combustion engines, electrics cars have few moving parts: no spark plugs, carburetor, belts, ignition system or muffler.

And no exhaust pipe.

"These electric cars are pollution-free," Ritz said.

The Fiberglas vehicle is powered by 13 lead-acid batteries, one under the driver's seat and six each in the front and rear. It can go 55 mph and can travel 100 miles between overnight charges. Ritz said the city expects to spend about $43 per car per month on electricity to charge the batteries.

"It is certified to run on the road and the highway," Ritz said. "It's a rough ride. It's not a luxury car by any means, but it has everything we need."

He said one car will be used by water meter readers while the other one will be shared by several city departments.

"We're hoping to stir up interest among the city departments as well as the residents," Ritz said.

Perraras will be the first employee to drive the EV-1, which is not equipped with air-conditioning, for an extended period of time.

Before he got the electric car, Perraras drove a pickup truck. The pickup has more storage room, but that isn't the only difference.

EV-1's steering wheel is on the car's right side.

"It feels kind of funny," Perreras said. "It's my first time driving on the right side."

Committed to developing programs that benefit the environment, Oakland Park purchased the non-polluting cars from Pro Electric, a Miramar firm.

EV-1 was part of a fleet of electric cars built for the U.S. Postal Service in the 1980s, but the government never purchased them.

"When the oil crisis occurred in the early '70s, everyone jumped on the electric vehicle bandwagon, but they abandoned it when gas prices went down," Ritz said.